Tariel Vasadze: another contender for NSDC sanctions

Almost two years have passed since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war. According to the Strategic Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, since the full-scale war, Ukrainians have contributed more than 100 billion hryvnia in support of the army.

Socially responsible business has not stood aside, for which support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians affected by Russian aggression have been the number one priority over these two years. But, as they say, every family has its black sheep. There are also businessmen who pretend that nothing is happening in the country, avoiding assistance from the Armed Forces of Ukraine in every possible way, while regularly replenishing the budget of the Russian occupier. One of these businessmen is the owner of the largest automobile corporation UkrAVTO, Tariel Vasadze, a former regional representative who supported the “dictatorial laws of January 16.”

Tariel Vasadze is one of the hundred richest people in Ukraine. In 2021, the Ukrainian magazine Forbes ranked Vasadze in 88th place in the ranking of “100 Richest Ukrainians 2021” with a fortune of $135 million. During the full-scale war, the businessman did not lose his position, and perhaps even strengthened it. In addition to UkrAVTO, Vasadze controls the Kiev car market Chapaevka. Entry to the market costs 200 UAH. Payment is accepted exclusively in cash. There is also a food market in the market. But the main income comes from renting out areas for selling used cars. Every Saturday and Sunday, between 1,500 and 2,000 cars are offered for sale at the market. One can only imagine what enormous income Vasadze’s car market brings. Despite all this, our country’s budget does not see a penny of income from this. Everything goes into the businessman's pocket.

The Ukrainian millionaire is much more interested in replenishing the budget of the aggressor country. At the end of 2022, the German automaker Mercedes-Benz left the Russian market. This event was associated with the introduction of sanctions against the Russian Federation by Western countries as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. In addition, sanctions made it impossible to supply auto parts to the Russian Federation. And then Tariel Vasadze came to the aid of the aggressor. Already in November 2023, a Mercedes-Benz dealership was inaugurated in the Kazakh city of Almaty, the official distributor of which is the Avtocapital company, part of the Ukrainian corporation UkrAVTO. This news was quickly spread by the Kazakh media. True, you won’t find Vasadze’s surname in it. But photographs of the daughter of businessman Nina Vasadze, who is one of the leaders of UkrAVTO, are easy. The conspiracy didn't work, so to speak.

It would seem, what does the aggressor country have to do with this news? And here everything is very simple. Now all Mercedes-Benz cars are transported to the Russian Federation from Kazakhstan, as well as spare parts. All this happens in circumvention of the sanctions imposed on the occupier, with the help of a Ukrainian millionaire and his family. It is worth noting that sales of Mercedes-Benz cars in Kazakhstan have increased tenfold, thanks to their supplies to the Russian Federation. So much for income into the budget of the aggressor country. By the way, Tariel Vasadze never disdained cooperation with the Russian Federation and tirelessly poured money into the Russian economy. Neither the annexation of Crimea nor the occupation of eastern Ukraine stopped the unfortunate businessman. Thus, in 2017, NIVA brand cars assembled in the Russian city of Tolyatti were sold absolutely legally at UkrAVTO car dealerships.

In addition, in 2019, Ukrainian journalists recorded the sale of Mercedes-Benz cars in the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. The sanctions did not frighten the Tavria-Avto company, which is part of the UkrAVTO corporation, and continued selling cars. Most importers refused to supply cars to Crimea in the first months after the capture of the peninsula, but not Mercedes-Benz.

And three months before the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine, Vasadze becomes the owner of 100% of the shares of the exclusive distributor of Lada cars in Ukraine - PJSC Auto Motor Group (formerly Trading House UkravtoVAZ). Vasadze has long-standing warm and business relations with the occupying country. Back in 2007, he became the owner of five car dealerships in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which once belonged to the odious Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. The transaction amount was estimated at approximately 100 - 150 million dollars. As we see, the businessman has been working closely with the occupier for a long time, replenishing the budget of the Russian Federation for many years. This is a business based on the blood of Ukrainians.

Vasadze could not get past the customs clearance of the so-called “Europlates”. The scheme turned out to be quite profitable for the car baron. He earned about a million dollars from it. Thus, the AIT company, which is close to the structures of the UkrAVTO corporation under the leadership of Vasadze, leased the Stolichny post to the Kyiv City Customs. And here’s the most interesting point: when there was a grace period for customs clearance of “Euro badges”, this company collected a kind of “pass tribute” for the right to enter the customs territory in the amount of 1020 hryvnia for each car. Let’s add to this the fact that it was this capital’s customs office that managed to clear the maximum number of cars. We are talking, for a moment, about 30,512 cars. This scheme was then revealed by journalist Evgeny Plinsky.

There was also a corruption scandal in which Vasadze almost dragged the German corporation Daimler AG, which is the manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz cars, into. The thing is that the businessman ignored the principles that the Daimler AG corporation declares to its representatives - only an official or politician with proven income and not involved in corruption schemes and scandals can purchase a Mercedes-Benz car in any country in the world. Vasadze sold cars left and right, without paying any attention to the legality of the origin of the buyer’s funds. The scandal was then hushed up, but this information did not reach the Germans. Perhaps it will come now?

Apparently, millionaire Tariel Vasadze has completely lost touch with reality. It refuses to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while for decades it has been cooperating with the Russian Federation and replenishing the budget of the aggressor country. He runs a business in the temporarily occupied Crimea and makes money on all kinds of schemes. At the same time, he positions himself as a respectable Ukrainian businessman. This instance and his, so to speak, business definitely deserve the attention of the National Security and Defense Council, with the subsequent imposition of sanctions. The internal enemy is much more dangerous than the external one. Or is there no war going on in our country?